Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-09

| TIGHTLY around her mothers waist. 1t was
| Roger Laronuc Ilcnriette knew his step,
and hastily put out the lamp, leaving only
| the night light burning, and, staggering to
| her door, locked it, she tremblcd lest he
should come into her presence They listened
with batcd breath to the steps coming nearer,
and which stopped at last before their door,
and in the midst of the death like silence they
heard distinctly his breath, coming in heavy
gasps as if he had run until almost breathless
| They heard his hands as he felt about trying
the door, and they heard him khock softly,
and voice said:
"Henrette, Hcnrietto; are you asccpp
The mother and child stood together
| clasped in wild embrace, their eyes riveted
on that corner of the room as if death had
| awaited them there. They took care not to
make a sound, and even the mother placed
her hand upon the child's lips. Roger, think
| ing that they were asleep, retired softly, care
| full not to awaken them. Opposite to that of
| his wife and at the other extremity of the
parlor was his own room, and he entered it.
Every sound ceased Everything seemed to
sleep. Only quarter of an hour ago these
two had been on the balcony, happy and i'm
| patient to see Roger And now three lives
were wrecked in that short space.
Midnight sounded, and at last 1 o'clock.
! Henriette did not try even to sleep. She sat
| silent and overcome in the chair beside the
bed of her child and at last. thinking that
Suzanne slept, she turned her gaze toward
her, and seeing the eyes closed thought that
the poor little thing had forgot her fear and
horror, at least for time.
ooh, my God!" whispered she, Shave pity
| upon that poor innocent one"
She then rose softly and crcpt TO the door
| 4
was no sound She crept like a shadow into
the parlor and took few steps forward but
suddenly stopped behind the piano, as she saw
| that Rogers door was wide open, and by the
| light of a lamp she could see him seated, pale
and distressed with his head leaning upon
his hands, His face was convulsed his eyes
| fixed and his hair and beard in wild disorder.
| Roger was 80 years old; at this instant he
looked so. On the bureau, within reach Of
his hand, lay a small revolver, the revolver
which had triunphed over the last agony of
! M. Larouette And the lamp burned on with
| its steady flame, giving this spectacle to the
watching wife.
Henriette looked, absorbing every detail of
this final picture when suddenly she felt be-
tween her locked fingers a cold little hand,
and turning found that Suzanne had arisen
| from her bed and that she, too, was watching.
| Hidden thus behind the piano they did not
| lose sight Of Laroque an instant.
All ut once, as if his thoughts were too
! dreadful to bsIr, he rose and began pacing
! his room with uncertain, staggering steps.
! Often, oven, he tool, hold of som thing to
keep himself from falling. At last he stopped
before the bureau, and hid his face in his
hands. One would have thought that he
wept. Was it remorscl
| Io lot 80, bo, l. fall o,,1 Lal nd
took the revolver, cooked it and held it ready
i'll his left hand, while with the other he un
buttoned his redingote, threw aside the cape,
opened his vestments, leaving bare his breast.
Then, without tremor, Replaced the muzzle
| of the pistol TO his heart and with his finger
! on the trigger stood an instant, but he dared
not complete his impious act, and he threw
the pistol back on the bureau.
| And then Roger threw himself into a chair
! and continued his train of thought, while
| Henriette caught Suzanne as she tainted and
carried her hack into her room, and he heard
nothing, The night passed thus. Henriette
did not go to bed. Suzanne lay in her cot,
| but without sleeping, for her eyes remained
! wide open until morning, keeping always
their expression of horror.
About o'clock Henriette dressed herself,
and afterward disordered her bed, the pillows
! and all, to not awaken Victoria's suspicious,
and to cause her to believe that she had
slept. She must dissemble She could not
do otherwise She would be obliged to leave
her room and meet her husband, speak to
him, smile even, that he might not suspect
! that she had witnessed his crime. And even
while dressing Suzanne, she felt a force I'M
! known, superhuman, which obliged her to so
out on that fatal balcony, and look towards
| ,at la wit ha tvip
dows were still open; there lay the rigid
corpse of Laronette beside the secretary,
! which had all the drawers open.
She heard Roger come out of his room,
traverse the parlor and knock at her door. 1t
was ended; she must meet him. One last kiss
she gave to Suzanne and then opened the
door to her husband, who entered smiling.
He was not dressed as he had been the day
before, Tut in black.
Roger Laroque was tall, wore all his beard
which was jet black and his face was expires
sive and sympathetic, though it indicated
more u man of action than dreamer. This
morning his face was ashy pale, his EYES
sunken and his forehead wrinkled, and he
showed traces of an anxiety which he tried in
vain to hide, and though he smiled on hi:
wife that smile was forced He took her hand
and bent to kiss her, saying in his tender and
sweet voice:
"How uneasy you must have felt last night
my dear, but | could not help it. l had very
important business, which so occupied mt
that had no time to telegraph. But
And here he stopped, surprised. He haC
bent to kiss her forehead and Henriette haC
shrunk back with an instructive movement o
horror.
; "What ails you'' said he, apparently hur
by her GOODNESS
And then for the first he noticed her ex
: IRENE pallor, her troubled mien. To receiv
a caress from that man, after what she haC
seen 1t was more than she could bear. Ye
she must felgn. Nothing" said she; moth
ing Why should there be anythingf" AM
with her whole soul III revolt she received hi
caress, which treasured him, and he said
gayly:
LAST night when | came in | knocked a
your door, but you We're asleep Only fey
years ago you would have waited later tha
j that Who knows if anybody loves me nowf
And there was that man talking Of love